SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Lawmakers in the Senate passed a revised bottle bill, this version of the bill is what the house had passed a month ago.
Changes to Iowa’s bottle bill include an option for grocers to opt out of can and bottle redemption.
Also included in the bill is an increase in the “redemption center handling fee” from $0.01 to $0.03 per can or bottle.
“Dealers will be able to opt-out effective upon enactment if they meet one of several provisions and that would be a food establishment license is held, that would include most grocery stores and convenience stores leaving just a few retailers selling pop and not food,” said Jason Schultz.
Governor Reynolds has not indicated if she will sign the bill into law.
A local redemption center owner said the $0.01 handling fee was difficult for many others in the business.
“There’s now approximately 60 recycling centers left, and when we opened up in 1999, 23 years ago, there was, I believe, it was either 300 or 400 recycling centers. But a lot of the smaller towns went out of business because they don’t do enough volume to sustain at that 1 penny handling fee,” said Steve Rasmussen, the owner of SCK Co.
Rasmussen said the two-penny increase will help him invest in his business and bump up pay for his staff.